From the Desk of Pastor Kim

by Peter Kim

Quicker, Deeper Relationships

Every year our church sees people come and go. It can be such a blessing to meet so many people and to be blessed by so many, but it can also be a difficult thing to see friends leave and then have to make new friends again, especially for those of us who have stuck around in Taiwan for a longer period of time.

Becoming friends is hard work because friendship requires time and a building up trust, right? I mean, why would anyone want to share some deeper thoughts or secrets with someone who is a stranger? This is a logical way of thinking for most people around the world. And the difficulty of making friends becomes even more difficult when a person has been hurt in the past. So, what does this mean for our church? Perhaps it means that our church is doomed to be filled mainly with strangers, and all those commands about loving one another and really caring for each other are noble but unrealistic.

But is this correct? Should we expect church to be a place of people who are strangers, whom we call brothers and sisters in Christ, yet with whom we have only superficial relationships? I disagree! In fact, I think that there can and must be a genuine care and concern for others who are believers—and this can happen even when we have only just met someone for the first time. How? Only through the gospel.

When I reflect on the gospel and think about how Jesus took the initiative to reach out to me, even though He knew humankind would reject and betray Him, it fills me with the courage to trust God and take initiative in reaching out to others. It allows me to be open and vulnerable, not fearing how someone may betray my trust. It allows me to take risks and try again when things do not go smoothly. And when we begin doing this with one another, it will automatically turn into wanting to make friends and sharing Jesus' love with those outside the church as well as inside.

Here are two websites that can help us get started with creating new relationships:

https://socialpronow.com/blog/worlds-fastest-way-to-become-friends/ (Non-Christian article that helps us understand that becoming friends does not necessarily require a lot of time.)

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/dont-overcomplicate-evangelism/ (Christian article talking about evangelism and causing us to think about who I can reach out to for sharing God's love.)